Electric terminal connector

ABSTRACT

The connector includes a connector body having a wire-receiving aperture therein and also having a threaded opening therein extending generally parallel to the wire-receiving aperture, a screw mounted in the threaded opening, and a generally C-shaped clamping member having an actuating portion loosely mounted on the screw and a clamping portion disposed in the wire-receiving aperture, the clamping member being fulcrumed on an edge of the wire-receiving aperture.

United States Patent [191 Kiessling [451 May 21, 1974 1 ELECTRIC TERMINAL CONNECTOR [75] Inventor: Rudolf H. Kiessling, Milwaukee,

Wis.

[73] Assignee: Square D Company, Park Ridge, Ill.

[22] Filed: Apr. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 244,639

[52] US. Cl. 339/266 R, 339/95 R, 339/270 R [51] Int. Cl H019 9/10 [58] Field of Search 339/95, 265, 270, 266

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,287,035 6/l942 Hubbell et al. 339 270 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 675.422 5/1939 Germany 339/270 R Primary Examiner.loseph H. McGlynn furor ray,Agent 0r Firm-Harry G. Thibault; Harold J. Rathbun; William H. Schmeling [5 7] ABSTRACT The connector includes a connector body having a wire-receiving aperture therein and also having a threaded opening therein extending generally parallel to the wire-receiving aperture, a screw mounted in the threaded opening, and a generally C-shaped clamping member having an actuating portion loosely mounted on the screw and a clamping portion disposed in the wire-receiving aperture, the clamping member being fulcrumed on an edge of the wire-receiving aperture.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ELECTRIC TERMINAL CONNECTOR This invention relates generally to an electric terminal connector and more particularly to an electric terminal connector having an improved clamping means. The connector is intended for use in a contact module of a miniature electrical push-button switch, but has other applications as well.

A contact module for a miniature electrical pushbutton switch is typically minimal in size. Therefore, it is desirable that a connector used with such a module have a minimum of parts and occupy a minimal space and yet retain clamping ability sufficient to hold wires of various sizes.

One type of terminal connector shown in the prior art employs a screw threaded into an opening in a base plate of a connector secured to a terminal block, the screw being turned to bear against a transverse wedge member which in turn bears against a pair of pivotally mounted movable clamping members which exert clamping pressure on wires inserted into the aperture. The structure requires the cooperation of a plurality of unconnected parts in order to exert bearing pressure on wires inserted into the connector.

A second type of electric terminal connector employs a screw inserted into a threaded opening in the base of a connector which is received in an opening in a terminal block. A resilient- U-shaped member having an opening in the outer end of each leg portion is trapped between the base of the connector and the head of the screw. When the screw is turned in the body in a clamping direction, the leg portions of the U- shaped member are urged together and the bight portion of the U-shaped member is deformed to exert clamping pressure against the wire. I'IOW6VCI,'tIl resiliency of the clamping member limits the effective range of the clamping force. 7

The present invention provides a connector wherein there is pivotal movement of a clamping member, producing a lever action which applies clamping pressure to a wire retained in a wire-receiving opening. Therefore, the present invention does not limit the clamping force of the connector to the degree of resilience in the clamping member.

An object of the invention is to provide a connector having a generally rigid clamping member, rather than a purposely resilient member, to achieve greater efficiency in clamping.

Another object is to provide a connector having pivotal movement of a clamping member, thereby to exert leverage on a clamped wire.

A further object is to provide an electric terminal connector having a minimum number of parts and wherein the clamping element is of one-piece construction.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent when the invention is considered in the light of the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a sectional view taken generally along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 and showing an electric terminal connector constructed in accordance with this invention and associated with a portion of a miniature electric push button;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section and with portions broken away, taken from the left-hand side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a wire clamped in the connector; and a FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the connector of FIG. 1, partially in section and removed from the push button, taken along the line 44 of FIG. I.

With reference to the drawings, an electric terminal connector 10 constructed in accordance with this invention is shown and is designed for use with a contact module of a miniature push-button switch assembly similar to that disclosed in co-pending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 140,152, filed May 4, 1971, now US. Pat. No. 3,740,50l and assigned to the assignee of this application. It will be obvious as the description proceeds that connectors constructed in accordance with this invention can be used in other environments.

The connector 10 is shown mounted in a connector holding chamber 11 formed in a cover 12 of a housing of the contact module. A terminal holding chamber 14 below the chamber 11 is separated from the chamber 11 by a web portion 12a, through which there is a passageway 16. The chamber 14 contains an upper portion of a contact assembly 18 having a terminal portion 20 electrically connected as by rivets 21 to a contact spring portion 22. The terminal portion 20, which is preferably stamped from an electrically conductive material such as brass, has a portion 24 protruding upwardly from an upper edge and passing through the passageway 16 into the chamber 11. A boss 26 is formed on one side of the portion 24 for a purpose to be described.

The terminal wire connector 10 comprises a body 30 formed of conductive material and complementary in shape to the shape of the chamber 11 so as to fit snugly therein. A continuous relatively thin wall portion 32 of the body 30 partially defines a wire-receiving aperture 34. On an upper portion of the body 30, opposite ends of the wall portion 32 terminate at a thickened end wall portion 36 defining-the remainder of the wire-receiving aperture 34. A threaded opening 38 in which a screw 40 is mounted extends through the thickened wall portion 36 and is substantially parallel to the wirereceiving aperture 34.

On a lower portion of the body 30, the wall portion 32 extends vertically below and horizontally beneath the wall portion 36 and a first axial slot 41 is formed therein opposite the wall portion 36. A second axial slot 42 in the wall portion 32 is opposite the slot 41 beneath the wall portion 36. The wall portion 32 has a pair of grooves 43 and 44 formed in its outer surface andlocated vertically adjacent the first axial slot 41 and the second axial slot 42 to provide resiliency in the wall portion 32 and permit the body 30 to resiliently hold the portion 24 of the terminal portion 20 in the slot 41.

- A substantially rigid clamping member 46 of generally C-shaped configuration and preferably formed of steel is provided and comprises a generally J-shaped clamping portion 48 disposed in the aperture 34 and an actuating portion 50 having an opening 52 which loosely receives the screw 40.

Prior to insertion of a wire 29 into the wire-receiving aperture 34, the clamping member 46 is loosely secured to the body 30 by the screw 40 which is partially threaded into the opening 38. An outer end portion 54 of the actuating portion 50 bears against the underside of a head portion 56 of the screw 40 and the clamping member 46 rests at the junction of the actuating portion 50 and the clamping portion 48 on a fulcrum 57 provided by the wall portion 36 at an inner edge of an upper surface 58 thereof.

In the operation of the present device, the wire 29 is inserted into the wire-receiving aperture 34. Tightening of the screw 40 increases the bearing force of the head portion 56 of the screw 40 against the outer end portion 54 of the actuating portion 50 of the clamping member 46. This causes pivotal movement of the clamping member 46 about the fulcrum 57, causing the actuating portion 50 of the clamping member 46 to move toward substantially parallel relationship with the upper surface 58 of the wall portion 36 and the clamping portion 48 to approach an inner surface of the wall portion 32 opposite the wall portion 36. Thus the wire 29 is securely held between the wall portion 32 of the body 30 and the clamping portion 48 of the clamping member 46. Further, the wire 29 engages the protruding portion 24 of the terminal portion which is engaged in the slot 41 in the wall portion 32 of the body 30 to assure electrical connection between the wire 29 and the contact assembly 18. The protruding portion 24 of the terminal portion 20 is firmly secured in the slot 41 by the boss 26.

When the clamping member 46 is fullypivoted, the clamping portion 48 engages the wall portion 32. Thus, the only effective limitations on wire size are the diameter of the wire-receiving aperture 34 and the thickness of the clamping member 46, l

The gripping potential of the clamping member 46 maybe increased by providing gripping teeth 64, as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 3, on the J-shaped clamping portion48 at an outer side of a junction between a straight portion and a curved tail portion of the J- shaped clamping portion which, as illustrated, extends beneath the inner or free end of the shank portion of the screw 40.

I claim:

and also having a threaded opening therein extending generally parallel to the wire-receiving aperture and communicating at its inner end with the wire-receiving aperture, a screw having a shank portion mounted in 1. An electric terminal connectorcomprising a conthe threaded opening and having an enlarged head portion adjacent an outer surface of the connector body, said shank portion being of sufficient length relative to the length of the threaded opening so as to be threadable therethrough into the wire-receiving aperture, and a generally C-shaped clamping member having an actuating portion loosely mounted on the shank portion of the screw between the head portion of the screw and the connector body and having a generally J-shaped clamping portion disposed in the wire-receiving aperture, the clamping member being fulcrumed at a junction of the actuating and clamping portions on an edge of the wire-receiving aperture at the outer surface of the connector body adjacent the head portion of the screw, and the J-shaped clamping portion having a curved tail portion which extends across the path of the shank portion of the screw and is ,engageable by the free end of the shank portion when a wire is clamped by the clamping member.

2. An electric terminal connector as claimed in claim I wherein the .l-shaped clamping portion is provided with gripping teeth at an outer side of a junction between a straight portion and the curved tail portion of the .l-shaped clamping portion.

3. An electric terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector body has a continuous rela tively thin wall portion partially defining the wirereceiving aperture and a thickened end wall portion defining the remainder of the wire-receiving aperture and having the threaded opening therein.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein the thin wall portion includes an axial slot that extends in the wire receiving aperture to expose a portion of a terminal portion of a switch in the wire receiving aperture. 

1. An electric terminal connector comprising a connector body having a wire-receiving aperture therein and also having a threaded opening therein extending generally parallel to the wire-receiving aperture and communicating at its inner end with the wire-receiving aperture, a screw having a shank portion mounted in the threaded opening and having an enlarged head portion adjacent an outer surface of the connector body, said shank portion being of sufficient length relative to the length of the threaded opening so as to be threadable therethrough into the wire-receiving aperture, and a generally C-shaped clamping member having an actuating portion loosely mounted on the shank portion of the screw between the head portion of the screw and the connector body and having a generally J-shaped clamping portion disposed in the wire-receiving aperture, the clamping member being fulcrumed at a junction of the actuating and clamping portions on an edge of the wire-receiving aperture at the outer surface of the connector body adjacent the head portion of the screw, and the J-shaped clamping portion having a curved tail portion which extends across the path of the shank portion of the screw and is engageable by the free end of the shank portion when a wire is clamped by the clamping member.
 2. An electric terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the J-shaped clamping portion is provided with gripping teeth at an outer side of a junction between a straight portion and the curved tail portion of the J-shaped clamping portion.
 3. An electric terminal connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the connector body has a continuous relatively thin wall portion partially defining the wire-receiving aperture and a thickened end wall portion defining the remainder of the wire-receiving aperture and having the threaded opening therein.
 4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein the thin wall portion includes an axial slot that extends in the wire receiving aperture to expose a portion of a terminal portion of a switch in the wire receiving aperture. 